Ukrainian military attacked Russian planes at a distance of over 150 kilometers, reported Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, Air Force commander, saying that results are still being clarified.
Previous reports indicate that 13 Russian warplanes were downed in February and two more in March. This list includes 12 fighter bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and a rare A-50 military spy plane. Another A-50 aircraft was reportedly downed in January.
Yuri Ihnat, the Air Force's spokesperson, attributed this success to air defense systems supplied by Ukraine's allies.
According to Oleshchuk, the loss of the aircraft led to a "significant" reduction in the number of Russia’s guided bomb strikes, the weapons that Ukraine is not yet able to counter.
"The enemy continues to attack our positions with guided aerial bombs, but they don't dare to fly too close anymore," the commander noted.
Also, there are still no A-50s over the Azov Sea and in other areas since the second one was downed on Feb. 23, "which decreases the ability to conduct radar reconnaissance," according to Oleshchuk.
Air Force commander claims that the Russian pilots began discussing the decisions of Russia's military leadership, following a recent uptick of downed planes.
“Such talks, and possibly sabotage, during the occupiers' missions, will only increase when the Air Force receives more tools from its Western partners to protect our skies from air attacks,” Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram.
Russia's total losses during the all-out war amount to about 672 aircraft — 347 planes and 325 helicopters, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
The General Staff's figure could not be independently verified.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
